Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53

Devanagari script

वदान्यांश्च दधीच्यादीन्हरिश्चंद्रादि भूपतीन् । जननी चरणौ स्मृत्वा सर्वतीर्थोत्तमोत्तमौ

Transliteration

vadānyāṃśca dadhīcyādīnhariścaṃdrādi bhūpatīn | jananī caraṇau smṛtvā sarvatīrthottamottamau

Translation

Holding in one’s heart the supremely holy feet of one’s mother—honored as the best of all tīrthas, beyond compare—one should also remember great benefactors such as Dadhīci and the royal exemplars beginning with Hariścandra.

Word by Word

• वदान्यान्: generous (persons)
• वदान्यान्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वदान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)

• दधीचि-आदीन्: Dadhīci and others
• दधीचि-आदीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधीचि (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन; ‘आदि’-शब्देन समाहारः (etc.)

• हरि-चन्द्र-आदि: Haricandra and others
• हरि-चन्द्र-आदि: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरिचन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन (भूपतीन् इत्यस्य विशेषणरूपेण)

• भूपतीन्: kings
• भूपतीन्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन

• जननी: mother
• जननी: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जननी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन

• चरणौ: (her) feet
• चरणौ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), द्विवचन

• स्मृत्वा: having remembered
• स्मृत्वा: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘स्मृ’ धातोः

• सर्व-तीर्थ-उत्तम-उत्तमौ: the most excellent among all tīrthas (two)
• सर्व-तीर्थ-उत्तम-उत्तमौ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन; अतिशयार्थे पुनरुक्ति (uttamottama = best of the best)

Speaker

Skanda

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in Kāśī pauses before any act, hands folded, visualizing mother’s feet as a radiant tīrtha; behind him appear Dadhīci (austere sage) and Hariścandra (truthful king) as luminous exemplars.

Characters & Entities

• Dadhīci
• Hariścandra
• Mother (Jananī)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

It teaches that reverence for one’s mother is itself the highest pilgrimage, and that recalling dharmic exemplars strengthens virtue.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse primarily glorifies the ‘tīrtha’ of the mother’s feet; within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, it supports purity and merit-oriented conduct associated with Kāśī.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A mental rite (smṛti): remembering the mother’s feet and dharmic benefactors as a preparatory purification for further duties.